Where Android Studio stores projects: standard paths and ways to change them

Working with Android Studio and can’t find where your projects have gone? Or want to move them to another drive, but don't know where they are stored? This problem is familiar to many developers - especially those who are just starting to master the development environment. The fact is that Android Studio by default saves projects in hidden folders, the path to which depends on the operating system. And if you did not change the settings during installation, then the search can turn into a real quest.

In this article we will analyze not only the standard paths for storing projects on Windows, macOS i Linux, but also show how to change them and restore lost ones files or transfer to another medium. You'll also learn where the cache, settings, and project dependencies are stored—this will be useful if you need to free up disk space or troubleshoot build errors. Don't miss hidden folders with Gradle and SDK settingswhich often take up tens of gigabytes, but go unnoticed!

Standard paths for storing projects in Android Studio

Default Android Studio saves new projects in a folder, the path to which depends on your operating system. These paths are not always obvious, especially for beginners. Here's where to look:

• 🪟 Windows: C:\Users\\AndroidStudioProjects
• 🍎 macOS: /Users//AndroidStudioProjects
• 🐧 Linux: /home//AndroidStudioProjects

If you do not find the folder AndroidStudioProjects, check if it is hidden. On Windows enable the display of hidden files in Explorer → View → Hidden elements. On macOS i Linux use the command in the terminal:

ls -la ~/ | grep AndroidStudioProjects

Important: if you installed Android Studio not through an official installer (for example, via Snap or Flatpak on Linux), the path may differ. In this case, check the settings of the development environment itself - more on this in the next section.

How to change the path for saving new projects

If you are not satisfied with the standard location, the path for new projects can be changed directly in the settings Android Studio. To do this:

1. Open Android Studio and go to File → Settings (macOS: Android Studio → Preferences).
2. Select a section Appearance & Behavior → System Settings → Project Opening.
3. In the Default Project Directory field, specify a new folder (for example, D:\Projects\Android).
4. Click OK and restart Android Studiofor the changes to take effect.

Now all new projects will be created along the specified path. However old projects will remain in the same place they must be transferred manually in order not to lose connection with the version control system (for example, Git), copy the entire project folder, not just the code files.

⚠️ Attention: If you use Git or another VCS, after transferring the project, do not forget to update the path to repository in the version control system settings. Otherwise, when you try to do commit or push errors may occur.

Where the settings, cache and project dependencies are stored

The projects themselves are just the tip of the iceberg. Android Studio creates many service files that take up disk space, but are not always visible in the main project folder. Here's where to look:

The folder .gradle can take up up to 10–20 GB, especially if you work with many projects. It can be safely cleared, but the dependencies will have to be downloaded again the next time you build. To clean:

• 🧹 Delete the folder caches inside .gradle.
• 🔄 In Android Studio execute File → Invalidate Caches / Restart.
• 📦 If you use Gradle via the command line, run gradle --refresh-dependencies.

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder .gradle/wrapper —it contains the files necessary for work Gradle Wrapper. Without it, the project may stop building.

How to find an orphaned Android Studio project

If project Suddenly has disappeared from your recent list Android Studio, don't panic. First check:

1. Default folder: AndroidStudioProjects (see the paths in the first section).
2. Recent files: B Android Studio Open File → Open Recent - perhaps the project is simply not displayed in the main list.
3. Search by disk: Use a search by project name or file build.gradle.

If the project is not found, check trash —the folder may have been deleted by mistake. It's also worth looking at Windows also worth a look at C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Temp - sometimes temporary project files remain there after failures.

If the project opens but is not assembled, check:

• 🔧 The paths in settings.gradle and build.gradle.
• 📂 Presence of folder .idea (it contains configurations Android Studio).
• 🔄 Status Git-repository (if used): run git status in terminal.

Transferring projects to another drive or computer

If you need to transfer a project to another drive or computer, follow this algorithm:

1. Copy the project folder entirely (including hidden files like .git or .idea).
2. Export settings (if necessary): File → Manage IDE Settings → Export Settings.
3. Move the SDK (optional): if the new PC does not have Android SDK, copy the folder Sdk (see the table above for paths).
4. Update the paths to Android Studio on the new device:

File → Project Structure → SDK Location

If the project uses Git, after the transfer, run:

git config --global core.autocrlf true # For Windows
git config --global core.autocrlf input # For macOS/Linux

This will prevent problems with line endings in files.

How to free up space by deleting unnecessary files Android Studio

Android Studio and its components can take up dozens gigabyte - especially if you haven’t cleared the cache for a long time. Here’s what you can safely delete:

• 🗑️ Gradle cache: Folder .gradle/caches (see table above).
• 📁 Old SDK versions: In the folder Sdk remove unnecessary platforms (for example, android-28if you only use android-33).
• 🖥️ Logs and dumps: Folders log and caches in configurations Android Studio.
• 🗃️ Unused projects: Folder AndroidStudioProjects (make a backup copy first!).

To clear the cache directly from Android Studio:

1. Go to File → Invalidate Caches / Restart.
2. Select Invalidate and Restart.

For deep cleaning, use terminal:

# On macOS/Linux
rm -rf ~/.gradle/caches/

On Windows (in PowerShell)
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:USERPROFILE\.gradle\caches"

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder Sdk\platform-tools —it contains critical tools like adb and fastboot. Without them, you will not be able to work with the emulator or connected devices.

Common problems and their solutions

When working with projects in Android Studio typical errors related to paths may occur storage. Here are the most common ones and how to fix them:

If build errors occur after transferring the project, try:

1. Clean project: Build → Clean Project.
2. Rebuild: Build → Rebuild Project.
3. Update dependencies: File → Sync Project with Gradle Files.

If the problem is not solved, check the file gradle.properties for the presence of custom paths (for example, android.sdk.path) and update them if necessary.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

export ANDROID_HOME=/new/path/to/Sdk